noun
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precipitation in the form of raindrops
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meteorol the amount of precipitation in a specified place and time
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of rainfall
Vocabulary lists containing rainfall
The Water Cycle - Introductory
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Earth Science - Middle School
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The Water Cycle - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
According to Garreaud, that amount is roughly 10 times the city's average annual rainfall.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
That pattern is linked to above-average hurricane activity in the eastern Pacific, and also is usually tied to above-average rainfall for Southern California in the winter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
The intense heat occurred partly because of how dry it was for much of the summer - with some areas seeing no measurable rainfall for more than two months, external.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
The flash flood, which began about 2:30 pm on Saturday, was caused by rainfall on the Kaibab Plateau, it said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026
The very low rainfall and productivity of most of Australia makes it effectively even smaller as regards its capacity to support human populations.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Extreme rainfalls during the ongoing monsoon season are a major source of floods in several parts of India.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2025
Most notably, in May 2017, some 6 million cubic yards of earth moved after torrential rainfalls, adding 15 acres of coastline.
From New York Times ● Mar. 31, 2024
California has otherwise experienced a mild wildfire season, after dozens of atmospheric rivers pummeled the state earlier this year and delivered record rainfalls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2023
Peeling bark from cinnamon tree branches is easiest after heavy rainfalls, which soften the bark, so harvests typically happen after monsoon seasons.
From Salon ● Dec. 11, 2023
It is our second month in Anlungthmor and we are amid one of the worst rainfalls ever.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
